Pokémon’s Super Bowl Commercial is Here

As part of Pokémon’s 20th Anniversary, they’re pulling out all the stops… and that includes a little bit of marketing during the Super Bowl. Well, maybe more than a little bit—this commercial’s clearly got a budget behind it, as well as a lot of hidden references for the more avid Pokémon fans.

Which ones did you spot? You might want to pause the video and take a look at those chess pieces or the signs on the wall—clever, no?

Of course, it’s a bit longer than the final cut for the commercial, and it’s also got a design approach geared towards getting people’s attention by not making it obvious what it’s about until the end… and while that probably isn’t the exciting kind of commercial Pokémon fans want, I think it’ll do a good job of raising awareness about the series. I mean, think of those people who only played as a kid and are curious what their childhood adventures in Kanto have turned into.

If you’re interested in joining the 20th anniversary celebrations, maybe check out the official site which shares snippets from Pokémon fans across social media, or let us know what you’d like to see from the series. We’ve got Pokkén Tournament coming in March, but maybe a hypothetical Pokémon Z in November would get people going more than a spin-off.

We can’t forget about Pokémon GO* either, and if nothing else, I don’t expect any shortage of Pokémon related news both big and small over the course of the year.

*Note: I’ve seen a lot of people confusing this ad for a Pokémon GO ad, but it does nothing to mention or imply it is as such. It appears to be a general TV spot to promote the Pokémon series during its 20th Anniversary and we will continue under that pretense unless we hear otherwise from The Pokémon Company. Thank you for your understanding.

Sho Ryker is a game enthusiast and major fan of RPGs and story-driven games. But that doesn't stop him from playing games in all sorts of genres—in fact, he probably has a favorite game or two for every genre out there. He also writes, plays sports, reads manga, watches anime, and a lot more in his free time. His goal is to find more people who are as passionate about games as he is.

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